{"id":72738,"date":"2026-11-10T15:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-10T21:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/?p=72738"},"modified":"2026-11-09T19:17:32","modified_gmt":"2026-11-10T01:17:32","slug":"fargo-woman-charged-in-4252-fergus-falls-theft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/fargo-woman-charged-in-4252-fergus-falls-theft\/","title":{"rendered":"Fargo Woman Charged in $4,252 Fergus Falls Theft"},"content":{"rendered":"

FERGUS FALLS, Minn.<\/strong> (trfnews.i234.me<\/a>) \u2013 A Fargo woman faces two felony theft charges following an alleged $4,251.83 shoplifting incident at Fleet Farm.<\/p>\n

According to court documents, investigators used DNA evidence recovered from merchandise packaging to identify the alleged suspect.<\/p>\n

Julia Rose Lee, 39, of Fargo, North Dakota, is accused of participating in the January 24, 2026, incident.<\/p>\n

The criminal complaint alleges Lee and a male companion left the store without paying for merchandise.<\/p>\n

Police Respond to Fleet Farm Theft<\/h2>\n

At approximately 2:58 p.m., Fergus Falls police received a report of a suspected theft at Fleet Farm.<\/p>\n

The initial report indicated that a shoplifter had left the store with merchandise valued at more than $1,000.<\/p>\n

Authorities learned that the suspects entered a white pickup and drove northbound on Tower Road.<\/p>\n

A partial license plate number was obtained, but officers were initially unable to locate the vehicle.<\/p>\n

Investigators subsequently contacted Fleet Farm loss prevention personnel to review the incident.<\/p>\n

Suspects Allegedly Flee Store<\/h2>\n

According to the complaint, store employees had been monitoring a man and woman for suspicious activity.<\/p>\n

The pair allegedly pushed a shopping cart containing merchandise beyond the final checkout area without paying.<\/p>\n

Loss prevention personnel confronted them after they passed the last point of sale.<\/p>\n

Both individuals reportedly ran toward their vehicle and fled the store.<\/p>\n

Store security footage later became an important part of the investigation.<\/p>\n

\"Julia<\/a>
Julia Rose Lee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Blood Found on Merchandise Packaging<\/h2>\n

While reviewing surveillance footage, investigators observed the woman removing a manual ice auger from its packaging.<\/p>\n

During an inventory of the merchandise, officers noticed what appeared to be blood on a box.<\/p>\n

A loss prevention employee told investigators that the blood did not belong to him.<\/p>\n

Investigators suspected the woman may have cut her hand while handling the ice auger.<\/p>\n

The box was collected as potential evidence.<\/p>\n

Store personnel initially believed all merchandise had been recovered.<\/p>\n

However, a later review suggested the woman had concealed fishing pliers inside her clothing.<\/p>\n

Some recovered merchandise also reportedly could not be sold because of blood contamination.<\/p>\n

The complaint lists the total value of merchandise involved at $4,251.83.<\/p>\n

DNA Evidence Allegedly Identifies Suspect<\/h2>\n

Investigators submitted the suspected blood evidence to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for laboratory analysis.<\/p>\n

Testing confirmed that the material contained blood.<\/p>\n

According to court documents, a database comparison connected the sample to Lee’s DNA profile.<\/p>\n

Investigators then arranged to obtain a new cheek swab from Lee through her probation agent.<\/p>\n

The additional sample was collected and compared with the evidence recovered from Fleet Farm.<\/p>\n

Laboratory results reportedly found the DNA evidence was more than 100 billion times more likely if Lee was the source than if an unrelated individual was the source.<\/p>\n

The complaint cites those findings as evidence supporting the theft charges.<\/p>\n

Two Felony Theft Charges Filed<\/h2>\n

Lee faces two felony counts in Otter Tail County District Court.<\/p>\n